As the world voices optimism in its battle with the virus, the new owner (Questex, an events and publishing company bought the rights and assets of Digital Signage Expo at auction earlier this year) confirms a re-launch March 21-23, 2022 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
But it won't be the usual DSE.
First, it will have a sister event-- the Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show) which Questex also owns. It attracted 8738 attendees for its last show in June 2021.
And it's that type of synergy that compelled Questex to acquire the assets. The acquisition complements Questex’s business and builds on the recent acquisition of LDI, which connects design, technology and production to the live audience experience, and with Questex’s Technology assets including Sensors Converge, StreamTV Show and Fierce Electronics.
Questex CEO Paul Miller comments, “...Digital Signage Expo complements our portfolio perfectly and we’re excited for the opportunity to grow these properties as part of the Questex family. We hope to build upon the past.
The CEO also said he and his team felt picking up where Exponation would be a bad strategy. Questex believes an industry talking to itself is a limited conversation.
You can bet will leverage its assets to not only bring together the digital signage industry but also designers and buyers in a wide range of markets (particularly those industries it already serves).
In fact, Questex expects the DSE exhibitor list will expand beyond digital signage equipment providers to those who use digital technology to design and implement experiences that attract, inform, educate and entertain.”
To reach their new vision for the rebirth of DSE in 2022, DSE announced an Advisory Board last month who met over Zoom. Some smart folks in there.
- Rich Ventura, VP, Sony B2B
- Rick Robinson, Chief Strategy Office, Billups
- Dorothy DiStefano, Director of Research, Immersive Art, Digital Placemaking Institute
- Marcos Terenzio, VP, Creative & Strategy, iGotcha Media
- Laura Davis-Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer, InReality
- Nick Belcore, EVP, Peerless-AV
- Jeff Hastings, CEO, BrightSign
- Jackie Walker, Digital Signage Subject Matter Expert and Strategy Lead, Publicis Sapient
- Stephanie Gutnik, Global Head of DOOH, Verizon
- Sandra Richter, CEO, Soofa
- Cherian Thomas, CEO, Octopus Interactive
- Brad Gleeson, Managing Partner, TargetPath
Questex acquired the rights to the live and digital assets of DSE including all trademarks, tradenames, websites, domain names, databases as well as customer, vendor and attendee lists. Questex has the backing of its owner MidOcean Partners, a New York-based alternative asset manager specializing in middle-market private equity and alternative credit investments.
So Questex has the money, the experience from other events and an industry board. In March 2022, we'll get to see what they can do with DSE.
